Anyone else think of Snooki when they hear the word Meatball? I always do! These aren’t as outrageous as Snook, but they are just as juicy, spicy, and delish as can be! They’re great served with pasta, on a sub roll, on pizza, or all by themselves!

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef/pork blend

1 c. crushed pork rinds (dealer’s choice on flavor/brand…I used a Hot n’ Spicy kind.)

1/2 c. grated parmesan

1/2 c. fresh Italian parsley, minced

1/2 large yellow onion, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Meatball 411:

Step 1—Sauté onions and garlic over medium low heat until slightly caramelized and transparent. Set aside to cool and assemble remaining ingredients.

Cooling the onion/garlic mix before incorporating into meat mix ensures the fat in the meat mix doesn’t begin to melt. More fat rendered DURING cooking process means juicier and more tender meatballs!

Step 2—Once cooled, add onion/garlic in large bowl, and mix pork/beef, Parmesan, pork rind crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes together well. Use wooden spoon and elbow grease, or wash yer hands and get down on it.

Step 3—Begin rollin’ them balls, y’all! The balls pictured are about 3 TBSP each. Keep going until mixture is gone.

Step 4—Preheat oven to 350. Heat a couple TBSP of Avocado oil (or whatevs you use at your casa) in large, shallow pan over medium heat and sear off meatballs. Careful not to overcrowd your pan….you want to sear them, not steam them!

Step 5—Once all balls are seared off, all meatballs go into your pan (mine is really large and is ovensafe, so I used my sautépan) with lid on, and into your oven for about 20 minutes or until your meatballs temp to 165.

My fellas had theirs in a hoagie roll with pepperoni, Provolone, and my marinara sauce, all melty and delicious. I always try to keep it low carb, so mine were sans roll, but topped in the same fashion and every bit as melty delicious!